Producers
Beat lease terms builder
Pick the terms you want for a beat lease or an exclusive, and get a plain-language summary of what the buyer can and cannot do. It is a summary, not a contract, and nothing leaves your browser.
Key takeaways
There is no standard lease
Caps, limits, credit and term all vary by producer and store, so write yours down.
Lease vs exclusive
A lease lets you keep selling the beat; an exclusive means you stop after the sale.
Get it reviewed
This builder describes terms you choose. A music lawyer should draft the license you actually use.
Lease or exclusive?
Non-exclusive lease
The producer keeps the beat on sale, so other artists can license it. Usually priced lower, with caps on streams, sales or videos.
Exclusive license
The producer agrees to stop selling the beat after the sale. Usually priced higher. The buyer’s rights are whatever the license says.
Terms worth settling
- Stream and sales caps, and what happens when they are reached (a new license or an upgrade).
- Whether the artist can monetize on YouTube and other platforms.
- Credit wording, and where it must appear.
- Who owns the composition and what share each side gets if the song earns publishing. A split sheet records this.
- Whether samples or loops in your beat are cleared for the uses you are selling.
Questions people ask
What is a beat lease?
A beat lease is a non-exclusive license: the producer lets an artist use a beat under stated limits, such as a cap on streams, and keeps selling it to others. The limits come from the producer’s license, so they differ from store to store.
What is the difference between a lease and an exclusive?
With a lease the producer can keep licensing the beat to other artists. With an exclusive license the producer agrees to stop selling it after the sale. What exactly the buyer may do afterwards depends on the written terms.
Is there a standard set of lease terms?
No. Stream caps, sales caps, video limits, credit and term all vary, so this builder just lets you choose the terms and shows them in plain language.
Is this a contract?
No. It is a plain-language summary of the terms you enter. Have a music lawyer draft or review the license you actually use. This page is not legal advice.
Does anything I type get sent anywhere?
No. The builder runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded or stored.
Who owns the song after a lease?
That depends on what your license says. Many leases keep ownership of the beat with the producer and give the artist the right to use it, but you must write your own terms down. Settle splits for any publishing in writing too.